Old Blog Update

So fun to read my homeschooling journey from so many years ago. So miss those times! Give me some children to homeschool! :) 

52 Books in 52 Weeks

I am a little late to the party, but I just joined this:  http://www.read52booksin52weeks.com/p/about-52-books.html

I'm joining during week four, but surprisingly, I read two books for weeks 1 and 2, but three and four are together and will probably be finished on week four. This is because I usually listen to an audiobook for exercising/working and one for leisure time. Being that I just had a tooth extraction, I am going to PLOW through the book I have had my nightstand since Christmas (It is a little slow). 

So here goes with a new adventure!

WOOPS! I put this on the wrong blog!

How fun!

Somehow, this old blog appeared on my dashboard again today. I know it hasn't been there before. I wonder how that happened. I haven't posted on this since 2004 when I was in the thick of homeschooling my kids. It is sad to think that by this time next year, I will be totally done!  Michael is full-time in college now, and Paul is on the way to starting classes (maybe just one) in the fall. Maybe I will do Chemistry with him, and he can take a college reading class. I know he doesn't feel ready for a writing class just yet, but I can certainly help him with that!

So, anyway, I am just posting because it is fun to see this appear.

Days 33-38 (October 22 - 27)

Time flies when one is having fun. I haven't written for days.

We read through The Sign of the Beaver by listening to it on tape. We also watched a dramatization with Keith Carradine and Annette O'Toole. It wasn't bad!

We read about Freedom of the Press and Zenger.

Both kids are doing multiplication in math.

Monday, we went to a corn maze and pumpkin farm. http://www.oregonpumpkin.com. It took us about 45 minutes to get through.

James and Acts study continues to be great for me. I enjoy the women, and I hope they are enjoying me! Crime and Punishment is also coming along. I am reading a section a day so I will be done by the end of October. Nikki and I also finished discussing Madame Bovary.

We are on Episode 8 of Anna Karenina. I also watched my last AFI/Oscar movie on Monday. It was lovely to finish this up, and I learned a great amount about the social history of our country.

I am off!

Tuesday -Thursday (32-34)

We had a whirlwind week this week, but I think we are finally adjusting to our new schedule.

The exciting thing is we finished The Witch at Blackbird Pond, and we all gave it a "10!"

We also learned about Peter the Great and scientific farming in history.

We started John 4. We prayed for Muslims.

We are finishing up time and money for both Michael and Paul. We start multiplication for both of them next week.

The boys are progressing in swimming and are still enjoying Spanish.

The "Band of Brothers" on Wednesday night was a big hit. They made Sculpey Clay art and talked about what we need to listen to in the world.

I have gotten very little Crime and Punishment read, but I will read this weekend. We will also start our 10 hour Anna Karenina fest tomorrow night! I also got my LAST movie in the AFI/Oscar List. I will be done exactly one year from when I started. YIPPEE!

James Life Group was precious. I taught them how do do interpretation through Word Studies. Karen is so hungry to grow and learn. It is exciting to see Lisa help teach her. I still need to finish my Acts Word Studies. TTFN!

Days 27- 31

Last week is a blur! I haven't posted.

We finished and watched John 3 and read up to the Golden Calf in our bible reading
We watched a summary of all that we have learned about the colonies in the Colonial Life for Kids called "Settling the New World."
We finished Om-Kas-Toe and we are on Chapter Thirteen of The Witch at Blackbird Pond.
We read a book called William Penn of Pennsylvania.
The Paul is on his sixth book for October. Michael is on his fifth.
Dad is reading various fun books to them at night.
We continue in Spelling, Grammar, and Writing.
We continue in time and money problems in math.

Today, we have been doing a variety of experiments in electricity and "Newton's Wizard." As I type the kids are going to balance a clown.

Swimming and Spanish continue to be a fun activity for the boys!

We had planned on going to E.E. Wilson Wildlife Refuge, but there was a cougar sighting. So, we decided to stay home. Now, the weather is bad. We can't go to the refuge, and we also can't complete our solar electricity experiments until the sun comes back. At this point, it is supposed to rain for the whole week. Oh well, such is life in Oregon!

Self-Education Note: I finished Uncle Tom's Cabin and started Crime and Punishment. I also finished my discussion of Moby Dick with Nikki and got alot out of the exercise. I will meet with my Oprah Book Club for discussion of The Good Earth today.

I am also thoroughly enjoying this Precept study in James. I think I still have much to learn from Kay Arthur. I like the Acts study, but it doesn't have the depth of insight that comes from a mentoring from Kay Arthur. I listened to her video as I clean the downstairs this morning, and I thoroughly enjoyed her teaching (although her outfits are so outrageous!).

Also, I had the Acts study here for watching the Visual Bible DVD of Acts. We also had the Stewarts over for lunch on Sunday.

Physics Fun! (Day 26)

The boys couldn't wait to tear into their new Science Kits that I bought from the Borders Teacher Appreciation Weekend 25 off sale!

We learned about potential energy and kenetic energy and chemical energy and electric and light and heat energy from the Energy Wiz science. We hooked up a battery and made a circuit that made a motor turn a fan and sound a buzzer. We tried to burn a hole in a card using solar energy through a magnifying glass, but I didn't have the patience to wait! We made a flywheel out of a bike and two motors that made a fan go around and sound the buzzer. We did more, and we did it for two hours!

After this, we read three chapters of Om-Kas-Toe and went straight to spelling, grammar, and cursive writing practice.

In the afternoon, we did about 1-1 1/2 hours of math (Paul was longer). Michael finished up the Place Value chapter and Paul finished up the addition and subtraction chapter. We will be ready to start a chapter on time and money tomorrow. I wanted to coincide it with them learning to tell the time in Spanish on Wednesday.

In addition, we were able to do two five minute "room rescues" of the hot spots in our basement. We cleaned up the stray toys under the stairs and the things in the "butler box."

I was able to dust the family room and guest room this morning while I listened to a Worship DVD. I also did a "27 fling boogie" in the master bathroom and found things that I didn't know that I was still keeping around!

So, I am off to do a little policing of of my "hot spots" in the office. TTFN!

Now, they are outside playing in the